Dramatic weight loss

Roche Pharmaceuticals is relaunching Xenical (short for zero calories) as an over-the-counter product (read: no prescription needed).

The Philippines is the first in Southeast Asia to sell the drug OTC, in large part because the Swiss company was able to get all the legal and health papers in order here ahead of other countries.

According to marketing director Brian Forrester and marketing director for hospital and primary care division Joe Mari Sy, Xenical– at P40 per pill and taken with every meal – will bring down weight safely.

When combined with exercise and the right diet, the results are dramatic and sustainable. In other words, taking the drug with lechon like former President Estrada will not deliver the desired results.

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It probably is just coincidental that three Ayala companies celebrate their anniversaries in August. These are, from oldest to youngest:

• Bank of the Philippine Islands (headed by Aurelio Montinola III), which needs to buy another bank after Prudential Bank, if it is to overtake Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. as the country’s number one;

• Integrated Microelectronics Inc. (headed by Arthur Tan), which will close its purchase of a Singapore-based company with China facilities by end-2005; and

• Manila Water Inc. (headed by Antonino Aquino), which is bidding for two projects in India.

Many non-Chinese associate August with the so-called ghost month (read: its unlucky to sign any contract, including a wedding contract) that falls on the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which, of course, changes from year to year.

From a retail point of view, however, August is admittedly a slow month, in part because loans taken to pay tuition in June mature.

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The 15-tenant food court of The Medical City may soon be expanded by two as it expands to the recently vacated HMO space at the back of the hospital.

Business has been so good for the tenants, many of which incidentally do room deliveries for patients who hate the hospital food.

On average, the food court operator currently receives three letters a day, asking for space that can be leased.

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Did you know 1: Chowking Foods Corp. marketing manager Virgilio Ajero Jr. is launching next month a nationwide advertising campaign that pushes Chicken Supreme, a big hit in the chain’s Indonesian outlets.

Chicken Supreme–which comes in quarter, half, and whole–had a soft launch this month in the Philippines and has been selling briskly.

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Did you know 2: Island Souvenir founder Jay Aldeguer is working out another revenue stream–coming up with souvenir t-shirts for hotels and convention centers–that is expected to add 15 percent to total sales next year.

Mr. Aldeguer is toying with two options. One is charge for the design and production of the t-shirt; the other is to license the t-shirt.